475: The Story of Unreal Tournament – With Producer Neil Haldar - The Retro Hour EP475
This week we’re joined by Neil Haldar, a pivotal figure behind the legendary Unreal Tournament. From dropping out of medical school to leading major projects at Sierra Online, GT Interactive, and MGM Studios, Neil shares incredible stories from his time shaping iconic games. Plus, we rewind to the 3DO era, and get the inside story on licensed games like 007 Racing and Rocky.
Contents:
00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories
42:36 - Neil Haldar Interview
Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show:
Bitmap Books - https://www.bitmapbooks.com
Take your business to the next level today and enjoy 3 months of Shopify for £1/month: https://shopify.co.uk/retrohour
The Retro Hour Book: https://retrohour.myshopify.com/
We need your help to ensure the future of the podcast, if you'd like to help us with running costs, equipment and hosting, please consider supporting us on Patreon:
https://theretrohour.com/support/
https://www.patreon.com/retrohour
Get your Retro Hour merchandise: https://bit.ly/33OWBKd
Join our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8
Website: http://theretrohour.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theretrohour/
X: https://twitter.com/retrohouruk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/retrohouruk/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theretrohour.com
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohour
Show notes
AI-generated Quake mixes reactions: https://tinyurl.com/tcevvphu
John Carmack defends AI Quake II level: https://tinyurl.com/55kne3rm
New N-Gage release: https://tinyurl.com/28rzes4x
The World Is Not Enough prototype: https://tinyurl.com/54vwzw6p
GameCube comes to Switch 2: https://tinyurl.com/3v7cujsc
--------
1:42:29
474: The Dark Origins of Horror Games - The Retro Hour EP474
This week, we catch up with Richard Moss and welcome first-time guest Connor O’Keane, the creative minds behind the spine-chilling documentary series TerrorBytes. In this follow-up to our earlier chat with the TerrorBytes team, we explore the evolution of horror in video games, from lo-fi jump scares to controversial bans and accidental nightmares. Plus, why horror in games is more than just guts and gore, and what really makes a game scary…
TerrorBytes website: https://terrorbytesdoc.com/
Contents:
00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories
35:09 - TerrorBytes Interview
Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show:
Bitmap Books - https://www.bitmapbooks.com
Take your business to the next level today and enjoy 3 months of Shopify for £1/month: https://shopify.co.uk/retrohour
The Retro Hour Book: https://retrohour.myshopify.com/
We need your help to ensure the future of the podcast, if you'd like to help us with running costs, equipment and hosting, please consider supporting us on Patreon:
https://theretrohour.com/support/
https://www.patreon.com/retrohour
Get your Retro Hour merchandise: https://bit.ly/33OWBKd
Join our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8
Website: http://theretrohour.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theretrohour/
X: https://twitter.com/retrohouruk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/retrohouruk/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theretrohour.com
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohour
Show notes
Long Lost NES Populous Found: https://tinyurl.com/y434kfzw
Ghosts ’N Goblins Tribute Gladmort: https://tinyurl.com/ymr98anx
Krogharr – New Amiga Slasher: https://tinyurl.com/79xfph5p
Exploding PSPs Warning: https://tinyurl.com/mvj9msph
--------
1:27:22
473: What Gen-Z Can Teach Us About Retro Tech – Kari Lawler Joins The Show - The Retro Hour EP473
This week, we’re joined by YouTuber Kari Lawler, who’s breathing new life into vintage systems! At 21 years old, Kari’s love for old-school computing spans BBC Micros, Apple IIs, and even programming from classic magazine listings. We chat about her early coding days, winning a space tech challenge at 15, the origins of her channel, and why treating viewers with intelligence is the key to her fast-growing fanbase.
Kari's Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@karilawler
Contents:
00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories
39:46 - Kari Lawler Interview
Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show:
Bitmap Books - https://www.bitmapbooks.com
Take your business to the next level today and enjoy 3 months of Shopify for £1/month: https://shopify.co.uk/retrohour
The Retro Hour Book: https://retrohour.myshopify.com/
We need your help to ensure the future of the podcast, if you'd like to help us with running costs, equipment and hosting, please consider supporting us on Patreon:
https://theretrohour.com/support/
https://www.patreon.com/retrohour
Get your Retro Hour merchandise: https://bit.ly/33OWBKd
Join our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8
Website: http://theretrohour.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theretrohour/
X: https://twitter.com/retrohouruk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/retrohouruk/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theretrohour.com
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohour
Show notes
Sensi Soccer on NES found: https://tinyurl.com/4mdu5bp3
Another Nintendo PlayStation: https://tinyurl.com/yhw79w7x
Wipeout Dreamcast: https://youtu.be/01MuoxLTQ9o
Full Size Amiga 1200 delayed: https://tinyurl.com/y7e9jhet
--------
1:26:11
472: RogueCraft: Making The Ultimate Modern Amiga Game - The Retro Hour EP472
This week, we chat to the creators of RogueCraft, a stunning new Amiga title that recently won an award at the Debug Indie game awards. Ricki and Henning from Badger Punch Games tell us about their roots in Norway’s Amiga scene to developing for the MEGA65 and building procedural magic on vintage hardware, they share the journey of crafting one of the most exciting modern Amiga games.
Badger Punch Games: https://www.badgerpunch.com/
Contents:
00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories
44:48 - Badger Punch Games Interview
Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show:
Bitmap Books - https://www.bitmapbooks.com
Take your business to the next level today and enjoy 3 months of Shopify for £1/month: https://shopify.co.uk/retrohour
The Retro Hour Book: https://retrohour.myshopify.com/
We need your help to ensure the future of the podcast, if you'd like to help us with running costs, equipment and hosting, please consider supporting us on Patreon:
https://theretrohour.com/support/
https://www.patreon.com/retrohour
Get your Retro Hour merchandise: https://bit.ly/33OWBKd
Join our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8
Website: http://theretrohour.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theretrohour/
X: https://twitter.com/retrohouruk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/retrohouruk/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theretrohour.com
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohour
Show notes
Sega Saturn games streamed from Wi-Fi: https://tinyurl.com/4jft5txa
You can now order CEX from JustEat: https://tinyurl.com/3cdhfxew
Cancelled SNES title ‘Mortal Kombat Nitro’: https://youtu.be/n8ovAVUZroU
USB hyper hack for Xbox 360: https://youtu.be/IUK__yGXmds
Counter-Strike remake: https://tinyurl.com/44axx4nk
--------
1:37:40
471: The Elder Scrolls: How It All Began with VJ Lakshman - The Retro Hour EP471
This week, we hear about the origins of The Elder Scrolls with the legendary VJ Lakshman, co-creator and a key figure in Bethesda Softworks’ early days. From the D&D roots of Elder Scrolls, and how procedural generation shaped an RPG legend. VJ also shares stories from his work on The Terminator, Crash Bash, Spyro The Dragon, and his time at Warner Bros. & Turbine, working on Lord of the Rings Online and Dungeons & Dragons Online.
VJ on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B07B3T9RLG
Contents:
00:00 - The Week's Retro News Stories
40:53 - VJ Lakshman Interview
Please visit our amazing sponsors and help to support the show:
Bitmap Books - https://www.bitmapbooks.com
Take your business to the next level today and enjoy 3 months of Shopify for £1/month: https://shopify.co.uk/retrohour
The Retro Hour Book: https://retrohour.myshopify.com/
We need your help to ensure the future of the podcast, if you'd like to help us with running costs, equipment and hosting, please consider supporting us on Patreon:
https://theretrohour.com/support/
https://www.patreon.com/retrohour
Get your Retro Hour merchandise: https://bit.ly/33OWBKd
Join our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/GQw8qp8
Website: http://theretrohour.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theretrohour/
X: https://twitter.com/retrohouruk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/retrohouruk/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theretrohour.com
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/theretrohour
Show notes
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 Remakes Announced: https://tinyurl.com/3vje2vhr
Spectrum Next Gets 3rd Kickstarter: https://tinyurl.com/4nbfst6p
SNES Is Getting Faster, Nobody Knows Why: https://tinyurl.com/ms8dfj62
Acclaim Rises from the Ashes: https://tinyurl.com/yrtuw56v
PS3 Gets an Update: https://tinyurl.com/4ucx5enu
Portugal